I knew Dave Cooper first as the person behind the amazing family photos that my friend Jennifer Cooper (Dave's wife) would post on Facebook and Classic Play. In addition to being technically gorgeous, the photos captured the beauty of a life with kids--a life in motion. Later, I saw other photos that Dave had taken--photos of wooden boats and Indian cities and much more. They were just as impressive.

So when I needed author photos, I called on Dave. Early one warm June Sunday, we met up in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore. Dave managed to make me feel as comfortable as a person could feel in what's otherwise a rather artificial situation. He had a few incredibly helpful tips, like to reshuffle your body if you felt yourself getting too stiff in front of the lens.

Dave's website is full of his fabulous work. Looking at the photos there, I can see I'm not the only subject who felt comfortable with him.